Commercial and industrial equipment often require a filtered source of air or other working fluid to operate. For example, a gas turbine used for power generation often draws in a large volume of ambient air to operate, and contaminants or other fine debris in the air may adversely affect the efficiency, operation, and durability of the gas turbine. As a result, a filter system at the inlet of the gas turbine may be used to remove contaminants and other fine debris from the air being supplied to the gas turbine.
The filter system often includes one or more pre-filters followed by a final filter. The one or more pre-filters may remove the larger contaminants and debris, and the final filter may remove the smaller contaminants and debris. Gaskets, clamps, and/or bolts are often used to precisely position the filters and securely hold the filters in place to provide an airtight pathway through which the air may flow before entering the equipment. As would be expected, the filter system requires periodic maintenance to disassemble, inspect, and/or replace the various filter stages. This maintenance may often be time-consuming, requiring specialized tools and skilled operators to ensure that the replacement filters are properly installed. If the replacement filters are not properly installed, unfiltered air may bypass the filter system, resulting in reduced operating efficiency and/or increased maintenance costs.
Therefore, an improved filter system that reliably positions and securely holds the filters in place without requiring tools or skilled operators would be useful.